Cigarette catcher



March l, 1938. G. w. GWINN Er AL.

CIGARETTE CATCHER 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 3, 1934 www March 1, 1938. wGW1NN VET Al.

C IGARETTE CATCHER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 3, 1934 March 1, 1938. G. w. GWINN ET Al.

CIGARETTE CATCHER Filed Aug. z, 1934 March l, 1938.

G. w. GWINN ET A1. 2,109,617

CIGARETTE CATCHER Filed Aug. 3, 1954 FIG. 14

4 sheets-sheet 4v www; 85%@ Wy @www Patented Mar. 1, 1938 UNITED sTATEs CIGARETTE GATCHER George W. Gwinn, Hewlett, N. Y., and James W. Leary, Bloomfield, N. J., assignors to American Machine & FoundryCompany, a corporation of New Jersey Application August 3, 1934, Serial No. 738,356

38 Claims.

This invention relates to cigarette collectors for continuous rod cigarette machines and is intended to receive the cigarettes as they issue in a single line from the cutoff and deliver them in 5 aligned row formation.

The general object of the present invention is to improve certain types of collectors particularly of the general type disclosed in the application for Letters Patent of George W. Gwinn, Serial #698,20'7, filed November 15th, 1933, in a number of respects, for the purpose of improving the operation of these collectors, particularly in the matter of decreasing the possibility of injury to the cigarettes, and increasing their speed and reliability.

An important object of the invention is to render the operation of drum type or similaiendless conveyor collectors more reliable by maintaining a positive grip on the cigarettes to a point alongside and adjacent the drum or conveyor and cigarette receiving means thereon. Still another object is to provide for ejecting short pieces or out of time cigarette portions resulting when the cigarette machine is started up 5 or defectively operated so that no short cigarettes will be packed.

Another object of the invention is to provide collecting means which will not injure the cigarette ends nor stop the cigarettes so abruptly so as to produce white collars at the cigarette ends and to prevent crushing in of the delicate corners of the cigarettes adjacent the edges of the paper wrapper. To this end the invention provides a relieved or perforated conveyor construction to 3" avoid pressure on the cigarette ends, particularly where a cigarette is gripped between conveyors.

Another object is to provide a device which will not only prevent injury tothe cigarette ends but will actually improve them by eliminating whiskers and/or slightly compact said ends, thus decreasing the likelihood that crumbs of tobacco will get into the mouths of the smokers. With these and a number of other objects in view which will appear in the description of the invention, the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations which will be hereinafter fully described and then particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specication and in which like characters ci reference indicate the same or like parts,

Fig. 1 is a plan view partly in section of the 57, improved cigarette collector;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 isan end elevation partly in section of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig.V 6 is a sectional plan view through the collector drum on the line 6 6 of Fig. 7;

Fig. l is a sectional side elevation on the line I l of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an end elevation in section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view in end elevation showing a modified form of the collector drum;

Figs. l0, 1l, 12 and 13 are detail plan views showing successive operating positions of certain parts of the collector;

Fig. lll is a plan view partly in section and with certain overlying parts omitted to show the parts below of a modified form of the invention, not employing suction;

Fig. 15 is a sectional end elevation on the line I5 I5 of Fig. 14.

In carrying the invention into effect by the particular v embodiments herein illustrated, the cigarette collector comprises devices for forwarding a line of cigarettes endwise, together With a rotating drum or traveling conveyor alongside the line having cigarette retaining means thereon, said devices including means for gripping the cigarettes of said line and carrying them while still gripped alongside said drum or conveyor, and a pusher for periodically engaging and pushing the cigarettes from Within the grip of said means to the drum or conveyor, thereby maintaining control of the cigarettes. It is also preferable in the form shown, though some aspects of the invention are not limited to such a construction, that the retaining means comprise suction openings for holding cigarettes on the drum or conveyor by suction, in combination with devices for supplying suction to said opening. In one preferred form of the invention, a short piece rel movingprong is included together with means for giving said prong movement into the spaces between successive cigarettes in the line to eject short or out of time cigarettes such as result when the rod breaks and the machine is started. In another preferred form illustrated a tapping plate is arranged to engage the ends of the. cigarettes when in side by side row formation and .in the best form, convex bosses are provided coacting with said plate to compact the cigarette ends.

The various means referred to may be, varied widely in construction within the scope of the claims, for the particular device selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many possible concrete embodiments of the same. The invention therefore is not to be restricted to the precise details shown and described nor to the particular embodiments chosen as .illustrative of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, one embodiment of the invention is shown in 1igs. l to 9 inclusive. Suitable driving structure is provided in this mechanism consisting of a main shaft il driven in synchronization with the drive of the cigarette machine, on which shaft is mounted a gear I2 driving a gear I3 on shaft i4 and a gear I5 on shaft I6. A gear I'I on the shaft II engages with gear I 8 on shaft i9 which carries a worm 25 in engagement with gear 2| on the shaft 22 carrying the catcher drum 23. A gear 24 on the shaft II drives gear 25 on shaft 26 and gear 21 on shaft 28 which in turn meshes with gear 25 through an idler gear 25 on a stud 30. Thus, all parts of the collector are inter-connected and drive the operating parts in timed relation to the operation of the cigarette machine and particularly the cutoff therein in which the cigarettes are cut just prior to being received by the collector on the line 23a.

For pushing the cigarettes sidewise from the line in which they are forwarded from the cutoff position, crank pins 26a and 23a respectively, are provided on the shafts 26 and. 2S and on these crank pins is mounted the pusher 3|. A pair of conveyor belts 3ft and 35 driven by pulleys 32 and 33 on the shafts i4 and I5 (Figs. 1 and 2), grip the cigarettes forwarded in single le from the cutci position and carry the cigarettes into the range of action of said pusher and alongside the collector drum 23. Since these belts positively grip a cigarette between them, there results complete control over the position of the cigarette at the time that it is pushed by pusher 3I to the drum 23 and thus accurate alignment on the drum of the cigarette ends is produced.

These belts are operated at a speed somewhat greater than the rod speed of the cigarette machine for the purpose of spacing the cigarettes and thus avoiding any possible rubbing of their ends as the foremost cigarette is displaced toward the drum. rIhe catcher drum 23 in the form illustrated is provided with longitudinal cavities 23a in the bottom of which are suction openings 23h which serve as intake ports for a source of suction connected to the drum. These openings act as cigarette retaining devices for holding the cigarettes on the drum as will appear later. Under some circumstances, the cavities alone may serve as retaining devices or the suction ports alone may serve this purpose. The timing of the drum and pusher is such that the pusher acts to push one cigarette into the range of action of the cigarette retaining means as that cigarette retaining means arrives adjacent the belts 34 and 35. The suction, from a suitable source of suction communicates with the interior of the drum 23 through a tube 35 which connects with a suction chamber 3'I as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. A relatively stationary va-lve block 38 which ts closely the interior surface of the hollow drum 23, except for a ninety degree space at the position along the periphery of the drum at which cigarette retention is desired, permits the desired suction on the cigarettes along this sector. After the cigarettes have arrived at a desired position on `the periphery of the drum, in the form illustrated, at the topof the drum, (Figs. 8 and 9), they are carried from the drum by side delivery belts 39 traveling in peripheral grooves in the drum underlying the cigarette engaging surfaces of the drum. As shown in Fig. '7, these belts are spaced to engage the cigarettes near either end, without interfering with the retaining means and by their spacing serve to permit short pieces and crumbs to drop out.

The valve 38 may be adjusted to vary somewhat the point at which the cigarettes are seized and released by loosening a set screw 38a threaded into the valve block and shiftable in a slot 38h (Fig. 4) in the suction conduit sleeve 35a. For the purpose of securing accurate alignment of the cigarette ends on the drum and on the side delivery belts, an end positioning or aligning device as shown in Figs. l, 2 and. 3 is provided. A tapper plate or pusher blade 4B is slidably mounted on frame 35h carrying the belt 35 and is recipr'ocated through a crank pin 4I and connecting rod 4 la to cause the tapper to engage the ends of the cigarettes on the drum and push them against a flange 23C, thus producing positive and exact alignment of the cigarettes. The flange 23e is provided opposite each suction port with slightly convex bosses 23d so that when the tapper pushes the cigarettes against the flange these bosses slightly compact or indent the tobacco in the ends of the cigarettes thus pressing in any whiskers and decreasing the possibility that crumbs will come out of the ends of the cigarettes in the mouth of the cigarette smoker.

The support 35a of the conveyor belt 35 is hinged at one end on pin 42 (Figs. l, 2 and 4), and at the other end is adjustably supported as shown in Fig. by a screw i3 permitting raising or lowering the belt 35 to suit diierent size cigarettes. The corresponding adjustment is made near the drive end of the belt 35 by turning stud M right or left as required. Stud 44 has a iiat surface 44a a little in on the body of the stud, and the belt 35 contacts with this, when the belt is adjusted for the maximum diameter of the cigarette. For smaller cigarettes, screw 43 is turned to lower belt 35 and stud lill is turned so that the corner of the fiat portion referred to bears on the belt, thus lowering that end of the belt.

For the purpose of preventing any injury to the ends and in particular to the delicate corner portions of the cigarettes, the lower belt 34 has elongated relief openings 34h which are so arranged along the length of the belt that they register with the entry of a cigarette end between the belts S4 and 35 and thus avoid pressure on the delicate ends of the cigarette, the gripping pressure acting back of said end on the body portion of the cigarette. To insure proper timing of the belts t4 and 35, they are perforated at 35o which perforations are engaged by sprocket teeth 34a on the drive pulleys 32 and 33.

In order to eject short cigarette pieces and out of time cigarettes which are ordinarily defective,

"and which commonly result from starting up the machine, especially when the machine stopped as a result of a broken rod, a prong or narrow pusher element Sla is adjustably secured by a set screw SIb on the pusher 3l. The positioning of this prong is such that it passes in between the cigarettes as they are spaced by the belts 34 and 35 so that if any short or out of time piece is in this space, it will be kicked out and never arrive amongst the good cigarettes. The operation of this device together with that of the pusher 3I is illustrated in detail in Figs. l0 to 13 inclusive.

For better control of the cigarettes in a modified form of the invention where no short piece ejector is employed, the ledger tube I leading from the cutoff, which in continuous rod cigarette machines has a reciprocating movement following the cigarette rod, may be provided with a pair of guide prongs Sla which guide the cigarettes against lateral displacement until within the grip of the belts (Figs. l and 2).

A modified form of the invention is shown in Fig. 9, in which the drum 53 is without longitudinal cavities, the suction ports 23h. alone being relied upon to retain the cigarettes. The construction of this form is otherwise the same as the preferred form.

In another modified form of the invention, shown in Figs. 14 and 15, suction may be dispensed with, the .cigarettes being pushed into cavities 55 in a solid drum 55. In this form a guard 51 extending from feeding position to discharging position is provided to insure that the cigarettes remain on the drum at high speed. In this form it has been found desirable to make the cavities much deeper but of relatively short length in a pair of spaced peripherally arranged series 58 and 59, as shown in Fig. 14, so that the cavities may enter cut out portions S0 in a loading table 6|. Aside from the feature just referred to and the elimination of all suction means, this form is similar to the perforated form illustrated. in Figs. l to 9; In the last mentioned form, rather deep cavities alone, or with the aid of the spring guard 51 having a curved end 51h adjacent the cigarettes therein, retain the cigarettes on the drum, the surface 51a of' the guard pressing cn the cigarettes to frictionally retard their endwise movement.

The advantages of the vacuum drum at higher speeds include valuable braking or retarding effect on the cigarettes, slowing them up without injury to their ends. Also the shallower cavities or smooth drum, particularly the latter, are more self clearing in the event that an open or uncut rod, out of line or short cigarettes, etc., get to the drum. Other advantages are referred to in the above mentioned application. The braking action of the vacuum drum may be explained by noting that the suction created therein is applied to successive cigarettes during their movement therealong, thus tending to hold each cigarette stationary and thereby gradually retarding and nally halting its longitudinal movement.

In the operation of the suction catcher illustrated, it will be noted that (as shown in Figs. 8 and 9), the pusher stops short of the drum by a distance greater than the width of the cigarette. While this is not necessary in some forms, this is desirable because it is preferred to have the stop iiange 23C alittle higher than the cigarette width to operate equally on all parts of the end, and this distance between pusher and drum enables the pusher to clear the flange. Also the pusher travels at a speed which may approximate that of the cigarettes before the suction takes effect so that it is desirable that the faster moving pusher should not squeeze the cigarette already lretarded by the action of suction against the drum.

What is claimed is:

l. A cigarette collector comprising in combination, devices for forwarding a line of cigarettes endwise, an endless travelling structure adjacent said line having cigarette retaining means thereon, said devices including means for gripping the cigarettes of said' line and carrying themwhile still4 gripped adjacent said structure, and a displacer periodically displacing-the cigarettes from within the gripl of said means into said retaining means.

2. A cigarette collector comprising in combination, devices for forwarding a line of cigarettes endwise, an endless travelling structure adjacent said line having cigarette retaining means thereon, said devices including means for gripping the cigarettes of said line and carrying them while still gripped adjacent said structure, and a displacer periodically displacing the cigarettes from within the grip of said means into said retaining means, said retaining means comprising suction openings for holding cigarettes on said structure by suction and devices for supplying suction to saidA openings.

3. A cigarette collector comprising in combination, devices for forwarding a line of cigarettes endwise, said devices including means having opposed travelling surfaces for gripping the cigarettes of said line, and a displacer periodically displacing the cigarettes sidewise from withinV the gripof said means, said displacer including a cigarette engaging part and means for giving said part movement sidewise relative to the cigarette to displace said cigarette and along the same to follow-its movement.

4. A cigarette collector comprising in combination, devices for forwarding a line of cigarettes endwise, an endless travelling structure alongside said line having cigarette retaining means thereon, said devices including means for gripping the cigarettes of said line and carrying them while still gripped alongside said structure, a displacer periodically displacing the cigarettes from within the grip of said means into said retaining means, said gripping means comprising a pair of opposed endless belts, and means for giving said belts a movement greater than that of the cigarette rod to space said cigarettes.

5. A cigarette collector comprising in combination, devices for forwarding a line of cigarettes endwise, a rotating element alongside said line, Said element having cigarette retaining means thereon, said devices including means for gripping the cigarettes of said line and carrying them while still gripped alongside said element, and a pusher periodically engaging and pushing the cigarettes from within the grip of said meansA to said retaining means.

6. A cigarette collector comprising in combination, devices for forwarding a line of cigarettes endwise, a drum alongside said line rotating about an axis substantially-parallel with said line, said drum having cigarette retaining means thereon, said devices including means for gripping the cigarettes of said line and carrying them while still gripped alongside said drum, and a pusherperiodically engaging and pushing the cigarettes from within the grip -of said means into engagement with said drum.

7. A cigarette collector comprising in combination, devices for forwarding a line of cigarettes endwise, a drum alongside saidr line, said drum having cigarette retaining means thereon, said devices including means for gripping the cigarettes of said line and carrying them While still gripped alongside said drum, and a pusher periodically engaging and pushing the cigarettes from within the grip of said means into engagementV with said drum, said drum having cavities thereinto receive the cigarettes- 8. In a cigarette machine, the combination Withjmeansfor forwarding cigarettes in an endwise moving line, means for engaging the cigarettes and speeding them up to space successive cigarettes, and an element adapted to enter the space between said cigarettes, and means for giving said element movement into the spaces between successive cigarettes to eject misplaced cigarettes or cigarette pieces.

9. In a cigarette machine, the combination with means for forwarding cigarettes in an endwise moving line, means for engaging the cigarettes and speeding them up to space successive cigarettes, a misplaced cigarette or cigarette piece removing prong, means for giving said prong movement into the spaces between successive cigarettes, and means acting on the line of cigarettes beyond said prong to move cigarettes transversely from said endwise moving line into a sidewise moving row.

10. In a cigarette machine, the combination with means for forwarding cigarettes in an endwise moving line, means for engaging the cigarettes and speeding them up to space successive cigarettes, a misplaced cigarette or cigarette piece removing element, and means for giving said element movement into the spaces between successive cigarettes, and along said line to cause the element to follow the movement of the cigarettes.

11. In a cigarette machine, the combination with means for forwarding cigarettes in an endwise moving line, means for engaging the cigarettes and speeding them up to space successive cigarettes, a short piece removing prong, means for giving said prong movement into the spaces between successive cigarettes, and a pusher acting on the line of cigarettes beyond said prong to move cigarettes transversely from said endwise moving line into a sidewise moving row, said element being mounted on said pusher for movement therewith.

12. Means for receiving cigarettes moving endwise and spacing the same, comprising opposed elements having endless travelling gripping surfaces for gripping and forwarding the cigarettes, at least one of said elements having its gripping surface cut away at spaced positions to register with the ends of the cigarettes gripped thereby to relieve the gripping pressure at the cigarette ends.

13. Means for receiving cigarettes moving endwise and spacing the same, comprising opposed elements having endless travelling gripping surfaces for gripping and forwarding the cigarettes, one of said elements consisting of a belt having perfcrations registering with the cigarette ends, and means driving said belt in timed relation to the movement of said cigarettes.

14. In a continuous rod cigarette machine in which a line of cigarettes are forwarded endwise, the combination with mechanism for displacing the cigarettes sidewise from said line to arrange the cigarettes side by side in a row formation, and means for aligning the ends of cigarettes of said row comprising a tapping plate arranged to engage the ends of the cigarettes along one side of the row, and devices for imparting a rectilinear axial reciprocating motion to said tapping plate.

15. In a continuous rod cigarette machine in which aline of cigarettes are forwarded endwise, the combination with mechanism for displacing the cigarettes sidewise from said line to arrange the cigarettes side by side in a row formation, and means for aligning the ends of cigarettes of said row comprising a tapping plate arranged to engage the ends of the cigarettes along one side of the row, devices for imparting a rectilinear axial reciprocating motion to said tapping plate,

and a back stop plate along the other side of said row, said tapping plate reciprocating towards said stop plate to push the cigarettes against said stop plate for accurately aligning their ends.

16. In a cigarette collector, the combination with means for forwarding cigarettes endwise, of mechanism for displacing the cigarettes from said forwarding means sidewise to arrange the cigarettes in side by side row formation, and means comprising a plate extending along the ends of the cigarettes at one side of the row and a tapping plate arranged to engage the o-ther ends of the cigarettes along the other side of the row, and devices for imparting a reciprocating motion to said tapper towards said plate to push the cigarettes against said plate, at least one element of said plate and said tapper including convex bosses for engagement with the end of the cigarette to compact said ends.

1'7. Mechanism for improving the tobacco ends of cigarettes comprising a support for cigarettes, a device providing a convex boss adjacent the end of each cigarette, and means producing relative displacement of the boss and cigarette to cause the boss to enter the wrapper of the cigarette to compact and smooth said end.

18. Mechanism for improving the tobacco ends of cigarettes comprising a support for cigarettes, a device providing a convex boss adjacent the end of each cigarette, and means producing relative displacement of the boss and cigarette to cause the boss to enter within the wrapper of the cigarette to compa-ct and smooth said end, said support including means for advancing the cigarettes sidewise.

19. The combination with a cigarette collector, including mechanism for displacing cigarettes sidewise from an endwise moving line, of means acting on the ends of the displaced cigarettes and entering within the wrapper thereof to compact said ends.

20. In a continuous rod cigarette machine, in which cigarettes are forwarded endwise in a single line, the combination with a rotary drum rotating in a direction transverse to said line and having a smooth circular periphery with a series of suction openings therein for engaging and holding the cigarettes, and a suction chamber communicating with said openings, whereby the cigarettes are held on the drum by suction, and means coacting with said line and said drum to cause said cigarettes to move horizontally into the range of action of the suction openings to cause the cigarettes to be picked up by said openings and displaced sidewise.

V21. The combination with collector means for displacing cigarettes sidewise, of mechanism for forwarding cigarettes endwise into the range of action of said means including opposed gripping devices arranged on opposite sides of and along the path of endwise travel of said cigarettes, and means for hingedly supporting one of said devices for bodily movement away from the path of the cigarettes to open the space between the devices.

22. The combination with collector means for displacing cigarettes sidewise, of mechanism for forwarding cigarettes endwise into the range of action of said means including opposed gripping devices arranged on opposite sides of and along the path of endwise travel of said cigarettes, and means for hingedly supporting one of said devices for bodily movement away from the path of the cigarettes to open the space between, one of said devices consisting of a belt hinged to permit one end of its operating run to swingabout the other end of said run. f

23. In a continuous rod cigarette machine, a ledger tube from which cigarettes are delivered longitudinally in a line, means provided with op posed travelling converging gripping surfaces for receiving cigarettes from said tube andforwar'd.- ing the same therefrom, and a longitudinal guide of cigarette Width or less entering the cigarette gripping space between said belts for guiding the longitudinal motion of said cigarettes from ledger tube until fully gripped by said surfaces.

24` In a continuous rod cigarette machine, a ledger tube from which cigarettes are delivered longitudinally in a line, means provided with opposed travelling converging gripping surfaces for receiving cigarettes from said tube and forwarding the same therefrom, and a longitudinal guide of cigarette Width or less entering the cigarette gripping space between said belts for Uguidi-'ng the iongitudinal motion of said cigarettes from -ledger tube until fully gripped by said surfaces, said guide comprising guide prongs secured to the ledger tube for reciprocatio'n therewith, on either side of the path of the cigarette.

25. In a continuous rod cigarette machine de iiverin'g cigarettes endwise 'in line, the combina tion with a structure having an endless series of suction ports travelling transversely of said line f and adapted to retain cigarettes on said struc livering cigarettes endwise in line, the combination with a structure having an endless series of suction ports travelling transversely of said line and adapted to retain cigarettes on said structure, of mechanism for conveying cigarettes delivered from the cigarette machine without stopping endwise travel thereof, into the range of action of said ports whereby the action of the suction ports on said cigarettes retards their endwise motion, and stop means positioned to stop any cigarettes travelling more than a predetermined distance after being acted on by the ports, said stop means comprising a flange travelling with said ports.

27. In a continuous rod cigarette machine delivering cigarettes endwise in line, the combination with a structure having an endless series of suction ports travelling transversely of said line and adapted to retain cigarettes on said structure, of mechanism for conveying cigarettes delivered from the cigarette machine without stopping endwise travel thereof, into the range of action of said ports whereby the action of the suction ports on said cigarettes retards their endwise motion, and stop means positioned to stop any cigarettes travelling more than a predetermined distance aft-er being acted on by the ports, said structure comprising a rotary drum.

28. In a, continuous rod cigarette machine delivering cigarettes endwise in line, the combination with a structure having an endless series of suction ports travelling transversely of said line and adapted to retain cigarettes on said structure, of mechanism for conveying cigarettes delivered from the cigarettermachine without stopping endwise travel thereof, into the range of action of 'said ports whereby the action iof the suction ports on said cigarettes retardsl their endwise Yfnfiotion, and stop means positioned to stop any cigarettes travelling more thana predetermined distance a'fter being acted on'by the ports, said conveying means including a pusher and operating means therefor displacing fcigarettes toward said ports.

29. In a continuous rod cigarette machine delivering cigarettes endwise in line, the combination with a structure having an endless series of suction ports travelling transversely of said line and adapted tc retain cigarettes on said structure, of mechanism for conveying cigarettes delivered from the cigarette machine without stopping endwise ltravel thereof, into the range of action of said ports whereby the action ofthe suction ports on said cigarettes retards their end- Wise motion, and stop means positioned to Istop Yany cigarettes travelling more vthan a predetermineddistance after being acted on'by the-ports, the displacing movement of said pusher falling short of the ports by more than a cigarette width.

30; In a continuous rod cigarette machine-'deiiverin'g `cigarettes endwise in line, the combination with a structure having an endless series of suction ports travelling transversely of said line and adapted to retain cigarettes on `said structure, of mechanism for conveying cigarettes delivered from the cigarette machine without stopping endwise travel thereof, into the range of action of said ports whereby the action of the suction ports on said cigarettes retards their endwise motion, and stop vmeans positioned to stop any cigarettes travelling more than apredetermined distance after being acted on by the ports, said stop means comprising a wall projectw ing 'substantially a cigarette Width beyond said ports toward said conveying mechanism, said conveying means including a pusher and operating means moving said pusher to'ward, along and away from the line of cigarettes but at 'no time within a cigarette width of the ports, to permit the pusher to clear said wall.

31. In a continuous rod cigarette machine delivering cigarettes endwise in a line, the combination with a device having a suction port therein travelling transversely of said line, of mechanism for conveying cigarettes delivered from the cigarette machine .without stopping endwise travelling thereof into the range of action of said suction portiwhereby the action of the port on the cigarettes retards their endwise motion, and stop means positioned to stop any cigarettes travelling more than a predetermined distance while being acted on by said port.

32. In a continuous cigarette machine from which cigarettes issue endwise in a line, a structure having an endless surface travelling past said line, a plurality of series of cigarette retaining devices projecting from said surface, said retaining devices being spaced apart in a direction parallel to said line, a table adjacent said structure having spaced gaps through each of which one of said series of retainers pass,and means displacing said cigarettes from saidline onto said table over the gaps to be picked up by said retaining devices.

33. In a cigarette collector for receiving cigarettes moving endwisel in a line and delivering them in side by side row formation, the combination with means having opposed travelling 'gripping surfaces arranged to grip the cigarettes and forward them endwise, a pusher, and means giving Said pusher periodic motion transversely of said endwise forwarded cigarettes to displace the cigarettes sidewise from within the grip of said means.

34. In a cigarette collector for receiving cigarettes moving endwise in a line and delivering them in side by side row formation, the combination with means having opposed travelling gripping surfaces arranged to grip the cigarettes and forward them endwise, a pusher, and means giving said pusher periodic motion transversely of said endwise forwarded cigarettes to displace the cigarettes sidewise from within the grip of said means, said means including opposed belts and said pusher having a portion arranged to pass between said belts.

35. In a continuous rod cigarette machine in which a line of cigarettes are forwarded endwise, the combination with a drum arranged alongside said line for carrying cigarettes transversely thereof, means for displacing cigarettes sidewise from said line to said drum, without stopping the endwise motion of said cigarettes, a flange fixed to said drum in the path of the forward end of the cigarettes displaced onto said drum, and means for pushing the cigarettes on said drum not having their forward ends in engagement with said flange, against said flange to align the cigarettes thereon.

36. A cigarette collector comprising in combination, devices for forwarding a line of cigarettes endwise, an endless travelling structure horizontally adjacent said line having cigarette receiving means thereon, a horizontally moving displacer for periodically displacing cigarettes sidewise from said line by a horizontal motion only and directly to said receiving means, and relatively stationary mechanism frictionally engaging the cigarettes during sidewise displacement to retard their longitudinal movement.

37. A cigarette collector comprising in combination, devices for forwarding a line of cigarettes endwise, an endless travelling structure horizontally adjacent said line having cigarette receiving means thereon, a horizontally moving displacer for periodically displacing cigarettes sidewise from said line by a horizontal motion only and directly to said receiving means, and relatively stationary mechanism frictionally engaging the cigarettes during sidewise displacement to retard their longitudinal movement, said mechanism comprising a spring having a cigarette engaging surface extending onto the path of sidewise displacement of the cigarettes.

38. A cigarette collector comprising in combination, devices for forwarding a line of cigarettes endwise, an endless travelling structure adjacent said line having cigarette receiving means thereon, a displacer for periodically displacing cigarettes sidewise horizontally only from said line to said receiving means, and relatively stationary mechanism frictionally engaging the cigarettes during sidewise displacement to retard their longitudinal movement, and means imparting longitudinal travel to said displacer to follow the endwise movement of the cigarettes.

GEORGE W. GWINN. JAMES W. LEARY. 

